Finally got root. For me the number of browser tabs to close when done is a decent measure of difficulty. 14 tabs at the end of this one. Not bad! 
Hints are good - lots of discussion. I will say the syntax for the final challenge bugged me - I guess there are some things I don’t care to learn - but renaming the file after modifying and waiting was key. Seemed like the shell came out of nowhere while I was trying other things. Reflecting on the steps - I can see how the spanish adds some confusion/misdirection I could’ve done without. It was a worthwhile challenge but I’m happy to put this one behind me.
PM for nudges.